Hatton promises his fans a Vegas special
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Britain's Ricky Hatton has pledged to deliver a performance for his fans to savor when he defends his IBO light-welterweight title against American Paulie Malignaggi Saturday.
"I'm going to jump all over Paulie," Manchester-born Hatton told reporters in the build-up to the 12-round bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"Saturday night, as God is my judge, you'll see the best Ricky Hatton and I'll need to be because I'm fighting my nearest rival in the division. I need to be my best and I will be at my best."
Hatton, who has a 44-1 record with 31 knockouts, made the weight Friday right on the limit at 140 pounds. Malignaggi, a former IBF titleholder from New York with a 25-1 record (5 KOs), weighed in at 139 pounds.
The duo were watched at the public weight-in by around 2,500 fans, most of them Britons who boisterously cheered and sang "God Save the Queen" and "There's Only One Ricky Hatton."
After stepping off the scales, Hatton paid tribute to the crowd.
"Thanks for all your support," the 30-year-old said. "We're going to do you proud again."
Ninety minutes before the fighters were due on the scales, a large crowd had already built outside the Garden Arena, prompting organizers to open the doors one hour early.
"Look at them all queuing up now," Hatton's father, Ray, told Reuters. "We think there's going to be about 8,000 Brits here tomorrow, which is incredible really."
ONLY LOSS
That number is substantially less than the estimated 30,000 British fans who descended on Las Vegas in December to watch Hatton suffer his only career loss in a WBC welterweight championship fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"Mayweather was massive," Britain's former WBC lightweight champion Jim Watt told Reuters. "But also, Ricky Hatton was unbeaten, and so was Mayweather. They were at their peak.
"So it was a great match and everybody wanted to be there. This one isn't quite the same."
Boxing fans have also been affected by the global financial crisis.
"The economy has hit a few people hard back home and not that many people can afford to come over," said Andy Furness from Birmingham. "But as long as some people come over and show support for Ricky, that's all that matters really."
Londoner Robert Rowland agreed: "It's not a good time of year, Christmas is just around the corner and people don't know what's going to happen so they want to save their pennies."
Hatton's father Ray, whose youngest son Matthew will also be fighting on Saturday's card, accepts the next 36 hours will be an ordeal.
"I love boxing, I really love it, but the only times I enjoy watching it is when it's somebody else," he said. "Saturday night, I will not enjoy it at all.
"I'm just looking forward to it being over. I just hope that both my sons stay safe and, if we come away with two victories tomorrow, that'll be absolutely unbelievable."
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
